Happy Sunday to you!
Last night I dreamt I was standing on an overgrown lawn, watching my four children play in the dirt. [No, I do not have four children. LOL] They looked so happy running around in their rugged clothes. I just stood there smiling. I felt completely content. I was wearing a raggedy house dress and shoes that were nearly falling apart. I wasn’t wearing any make up, and my hair was nothing to write home about. Nothing interesting happened in my dream… except for the way I felt…tranquil, stress free, and joyful.
Anyone who knows me, knows that the picture painted in my dream is extremely unlike my real life. In reality, my lawn would always be well manicured (I live in an apartment for now). My children would not be running around getting their clothes dirty. My sweet, little 3-month old gets dressed to the heavens just for a trip to the grocery store. I certainly would not be caught dead standing outside wearing a raggedy house dress, beaten up shoes, or unkempt hair. Oh, and I would at least put on mascara. I know. I know. I'm a bit vain. Sue me!
This dream got me to thinking... Could I live in a reality free of vanity and unfruitful mental weights?
Pondering, I chuckled to myself. This is the sort of living Christ calls us to. For many of us, it is a daily norm to be conscientious about our appearance. Our social standing and need for approval and acceptance is so prominent that it gets in the way of our ability to be grateful for life’s simple blessings. The blessing of the sun, shining brightly so we can enjoy a nice picnic. The blessing of being able to run around and play in our backyards with people who love us [even when we have on no makeup and morning breath]. These blessings seem so minimal in comparison to everything else we have going on in our very "important" lives. Nevertheless, they can bring us the calm we all desire. We just have to view them through a new lens.
I imagine that the woman I was in my dream was more concerned with the joy each moment could bring, instead of how her yard and hair looked. We take on all these worldly cares that diminish our quality of living, and rob us of peace. We waste time getting ready to impress people we don't know most of the time. We spend money we don't have to buy things we don't need, and sometimes don't even want. We do all of these things to fit in with everyone else. Afterwards, we end up stressed, filled with anxiety and light pockets. Why? Because we have this distorted understanding of what adds value to our lives. If we can’t buy or sport it, we can't possibly be happy. Doesn't this sound twisted?
This weekend's challenge is for us to be more concerned with the things that glorify the Lord. Let go of whatever is blocking our joy and peace. Become more cognizant of our daily blessings. Dare not to care what anyone else thinks. Let's make sure we aren't living and making decisions to please people. The Lord is calling us to shed some weight! Until next time,